A librarian in Indonesia’s Java island is lending books to children in exchange for trash they collect in a creative way to clean up the environment and get the kids to read more.
Each weekday Raden Roro Hendarti rides her three-wheeler with books piled up at the back for children in Muntang village to exchange for plastic cups, bags and other waste that she carries back.
She told Reuters she is helping to get the kids reading as well as make them aware of the environment. As soon as she shows up, little children, many accompanied by their mothers, surround her “Trash Library” and request for the books. They are all carrying waste bags and Raden’s three-wheeler quickly fills up with them as the books fly out. She’s happy that with her mobile service, the kids are going to spend less time on online games as a result.
“Let us build a culture of literacy from young age to lessen the harm of the online world,” Raden said. “We should also take care of our waste in order to fight climate change and to save the earth from trash,” Raden said.
She collects about 100kg of waste each week, which is then sorted out by her colleagues and sent for recycling or sold. She has around 6,000 books to lend and wants to take it to neighbouring areas as well.
Kevin Alamsyah, an 11-year-old reader, searches for waste lying in the village. “When there is too much trash, our environment will become dirty and it’s not healthy. That’s why I look for trash to borrow a book,” he says.
The literacy rate for above 15-year-olds in Indonesia is around 96 percent, but a September report by the World Bank warned that the outbreak of COVID-19 will leave more than 80% of 15-year-olds below the minimum reading proficiency level identified by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
1. Which of the following is not likely to be exchanged for a book from the “Trash Library”?| A．A plastic cup. | B．A new three-wheeler. | C．A waste bag. | D．A broken basin. |
| A．Meaningful. | B．Costly. | C．Interesting. | D．Unhelpful. |
| A．They are financially poor. | B．They read widely. |
| C．They would lose their identities. | D．They should do more reading. |
| A．Knowledge is power. | B．It is never too old to learn. |
| C．Kill two birds with one stone. | D．There is no royal road to learning. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】How to Choose a Good Book
You love reading, and you’re dying to get your hands on a book. But you’ve read all your books several times, and you’re getting tired of reading the same ones. You’re planning to go to the library, but don’t know what kind of books to get. With the right knowledge, it’s easy for you to choose a good book.
Make a list answering these questions:
What kind of books do you like?
Very often good books are quietly collecting dust in your own house. Maybe you forget about one, or someone who is living with you has a couple of good books. Also by searching your house, you can find books that you can read, and they won’t even cost you any money.
Read best-seller lists published in most newspapers or weekly magazines. Find out which new books are making headlines, and why.
If it does, then use its search engine to find a certain book or books by a certain author, You can also do this at home.
If you would rather have Book 1 over Book2，put Book2 back. If you would prefer Book 3 to Book 1, put Book 1 back.
| A．Search your house. |
| B．What books have you read? |
| C．Ask someone to recommend a good book. |
| D．See if the library or bookstore has computers. |
| E．Read book reviews in newspapers and magazines. |
| F．Narrow down your choices. |
| G．What authors do you like? |
【推荐2】Despite rising education levels, Americans of every age are reading less and less for pleasure these days, according to an analysis by the National Endowment for the Arts. The decline(下降) could have bad effects as people tune out books, tune in popular culture and become less socially engaged.
“We’ve got a public culture which is almost entirely commercial(商业化) and novelty-driven (追新),” says NEA chairman Dana Gioia. “I think it’s letting the nation down.”
The study gathers years of data on Americans’ reading habits and finds that, at every age group, we’re reading less.
Most of the data have appeared in private, government and university surveys, but today’s report is the first to combine them into a single portrait. It suggests that the demands of school, work and family and the decisive advantage of other forms of entertainment have caused the decline in reading for millions of Americans.
·Only 38% of adults in 2006 said they had spent time reading a book for pleasure.
·65% of college freshmen in 2005 said they read little or nothing for pleasure.
·30% of 13-year-olds in 2004 said they read for fun “almost every day,” down from 35% in 1984.
According to Gioia, a poet, the decline is probably the single most important social issue in the United States today. The findings should be a wake-up call to educators to change the way they teach literature at every level. It was once believed that if someone went to college, they would become a lifelong reader. What we’re seeing right now is that we’re no longer producing readers. We’re producing B.A.s and M.A.s and Ph.D.s.
Gioia also wants main media to wake up to how they can promote good books in many ways. He notes that when a character in the 1994 film Four Weddings and a Funeral recited a few lines of W. H. Auden’s poem Funeral Blues, the poet briefly became a best seller.
1. The underlined phrase “tune out” in the first paragraph probably means________.| A．close | B．publish | C．prove | D．read |
| A．is positive and valuable | B．does harm to the nation |
| C．is caused only by popular culture | D．can make poets best sellers |
| A．Demands of getting a B.A., M.A. or Ph.D. |
| B．Demands of family, school and work. |
| C．The change in the way the literature is taught. |
| D．Advantages of the entertainment. |
| A．30% | B．38% | C．65% | D．5% |
【推荐3】Given that most little girls love to dress up as princesses, it is difficult to imagine what might be wrong with that. But one author has written an entire book on how she believes the fairy tale fantasies send a dangerous message.
Jennifer L Hardstein is behind the recently-published Princess Recovery: A How-To Guide to Raising Strong, Empowered Girls Who Can Create Their Own Happily Ever Afters. The child and adolescent psychologist believes that children as young as two are taking away unrealistic ideals from fairy tale books and Disney cartoons that can affect their self-esteem later on.
In her book, Dr. Hardstein theories that traditional stories like Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella promote the idea that if a girl is pretty enough and has fancy clothes and shoes, she find love and popularity. The author refers to this phenomenon as the “Princess Syndrome”
These kinds of messages, she says, have a huge impact on a girl's self-confidence and make it hard for children to understand as they grow up, that intelligence, generosity and passion are more important value. During an appearance on CBS' Early Show, Dr. Hardstein explained: “Girls are getting this message everywhere that. … what their worth is based on is how they look and the things that they have and it's very superficial (肤浅的)”
Her book teaches parents how to let their toddlers (幼儿) enjoy the Disney moves and their teenagers watch figures in reality shows while encouraging a discussion about the messages projected by the media. Speaking on the show she said: “Parents think their kids will understand the messages that they receive all the time but actually they don't.”
As well as warning of the dangers of “Princess Syndrome” her book advise parents how to guide and empower their children from an early age. Dr. Hardstein warns of the influence of toys like Barbie dolls and teenager celebrities who might wear heavy make-up.
Princess Recovery, she assure parents, will bring “balance, confidence, and self-sufficiency into your daughter's life while giving her a modern, energetic childhood.”
1. According to Jennifer L Hardstein, the fairy tale fantasies _______| A．are dangerous because girls in them greys up like princesses |
| B．are difficult to understand due to people's wrong imagination |
| C．enable girls to be strong and empowered like princesses |
| D．contain unrealistic ideals affecting young kids' self-esteem later |
| A．Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella should be abandoned totally |
| B．girls find love and popularity with beauty and fancy clothes |
| C．intelligence, generosity and passion are more important value |
| D．it is superficial to look pretty and have fancy clothes and shoes |
| A．Disney movie's and reality shows should be completely forbidden. |
| B．Discussions help kids understand messages projected by the media. |
| C．Young children should ' play with toys such as Barbie dolls. |
| D．Heavy make-up is harmful for the health of teenager celebrities. |
| A．introduce a new term called the “Princess Syndrome” | B．guide parents how to deal with the fairy tale fantasies |
| C．introduce and advertise a new book on child raising | D．warning of the dangers of the “Princess Syndrome” |
Friends of the Earth (FOE) campaigns on a range of problems including rainforests，the countryside, water and air pollution and energy. Friends of the Earth International Secretariat P. O. Box 19199 1000 G. D. Amsterdam The Netherlands | Greenpeace uses peaceful but direct action to defend the environment. It campaigns to protect rainforests and sea animals, stop global warming and end pollution of air, land and seas. It also opposes nuclear (核) power. Greenpeace International Keizergracht 176 1016 DW Amsterdam The Netherlands |
| BirdLife International is an organization which works to save endangered birds all over the world. BirdLife International Wellbrook Court Girton Road  Cambridge CB3 ONA England |  WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature is the world’s largest private international organization for the protection of nature and endangered species. Information Officer WWF International Avenue du Mont-Blanc 1196 Gland Switzerland |
| A．call them | B．write them a letter |
| C．visit them | D．send them an e-mail |
| A．reduce pollution |
| B．defend rainforests |
| C．protect ocean animals |
| D．save endangered birds |
| A．Friends of the Earth |
| B．World Wide Fund For Nature |
| C．Greenpeace |
| D．BirdLife International |
| A．It helps to protect nature and save endangered animals. |
| B．It is the world’s largest international organization. |
| C．It works for private companies and rich people. |
| D．It is a private organization in the United States. |
| A．Environmental Protection Organizations |
| B．Global Environmental Problems |
| C．Endangered Animals |
| D．Friends of the Earth |
【推荐2】My sister Alice and I have been trying to get people to stop dropping cigarette butts (烟头) for seven years. One day, we were walking in our hometown and saw hundreds of cigarette butts on the ground. They made the town look so ugly that we decided to start a group to make people stop dropping butts. We called it “No Butts About It”.
At first, we drew pictures with “The Earth is not your ashtray (烟灰缸)” written on them. We put the pictures around our boomtown--in parks, by beaches, and along roads. We wanted to make people understand that dropping butts hurts the environment. Most smokers don’t think that dropping butts hurts the Earth. But it does, and all rubbish does!
Later, we wrote to companies and asked them for money to help us. We used the money to buy ashtrays to give to smokers. We wanted smokers to carry the ashtrays with them so they didn’t have to drop butts.
At the moment, we are trying to get cigarette companies to put an ashtray in each pack of cigarettes. Some companies want to do it. Many people have started to join our group since it began. Today there are 45 other “No Butts About It” groups in America
Now there are even groups in England, Australia, and India! Many newspapers have written about my sister and me over the last seven years. And we have won many prizes for what we have done. But we are not interested in prizes. We just want to make the Earth a better an cleaner place for animals, plants and people.
One day, it will be.
1. What did the writer think about the cigarette butts?| A．They made the town smelly. | B．They made the town dirty. |
| C．They made the town tidy. | D．They made the town unique. |
| A．They picked up the cigarette butts. |
| B．They stopped people buying cigarettes. |
| C．They gave ashtrays to the smokers. |
| D．They drew pictures of town scenery. |
| A．No companies wanted to support them. |
| B．There are only 45 “No Butts About It” groups. |
| C．Alice and I like to be on newspapers and win prizes. |
| D．They believe the Earth will be better and cleaner. |
| A．Save Our Town From Cigarette Butts |
| B．Cigarette Butts Destroying Countries |
| C．Buy Yourself An Ashtray |
| D．No Butts Prize |
【推荐3】Consumers who want to help the environment can do so most effectively by reducing consumption. Wrapping paper alternatives can reduce the need for various resources to be consumed.
One extremely low-cost wrapping paper alternative is to use the Sunday comics. These are bright, colorful, and fun, and will probably be passed around and read as the receiver opens the gift. Children and adults alike will appreciate this attractive wrapping paper alternative. Clear cellophane (玻璃纸) can also be used over the comics newspaper.
Re-used gift wrap, if not damaged, is another free wrapping paper alternative. Torn edges can be cut off and high-quality ribbon will last through many uses. Newsprint roll ends are often given away by newspaper offices and can be decorated with markers, paints, rubber stamps, or stickers.
Any wrapping paper alternative can be made unique by adding decorations that are readily available.
| A．This will create a smooth, shiny look. |
| B．Children often like to see their artwork displayed. |
| C．Old calendars can be used as a wrapping paper alternative. |
| D．They can also offer a creative and unique presentation for gifts. |
| E．The gift bag will likely be passed on to wrap a gift for someone else. |
| F．Shapes, photos, or words cut from magazines can personalize the gift. |
| G．There are many other ideas for creating a unique wrapping paper alternative. |
【推荐1】China and India are leaders in improving global tree cover, a new study based on NASA research showed.
They took a 31.8 percent part together of the total global new leaf area between 2000 and 2017. China played a major role, adding 25 percent to this increase, and India added 6.8 percent, followed by Canada and Russia.
The study in the Nature Sustainability journal shows that more than 5.5 million square kilometers of green leaf area was added globally. Since 2000, there has been a 5 percent increase in global green cover, it said.
“The greening over the last twenty years shows an increase in leaf area on plants and trees which is as large as the area of the entire Amazon rainforest,” Chi Chen, a Boston University researcher and leader of the study told Nature Sustainability. Large plantation activities to protect forests in China contributed nearly 42 percent to the country’s green cover, and agriculture (农业) added another 32 percent. In India, 82 percent of the increase in leaf area was because of agriculture.
“China and India take up one-third of the greening, but hold only nine percent of the planet’s land area covered in green plants,” Chi Chen told NASA Earth Observatory. “That is a surprising finding, considering the land degradation (退化) in countries with large populations.”
Boston University’s research team first detected an increase in global green cover in the 1990s but were unsure what contributed to the increase. Finally, with the help of NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites research, they managed to find out the increase in leaf cover from different areas and places.
1. Which country contributed to the largest increase in the global new leaf area?| A．India. | B．China. | C．Russia | D．Canada. |
| A．To show the major role of rainforest. |
| B．To explain the reason for developing agriculture. |
| C．To describe the difficulty in protecting forests. |
| D．To stress the great increase in global green cover. |
| A．Worrying. | B．Interesting. | C．Unexpected. | D．Meaningless. |
| A．Imagined. | B．Discovered. | C．Studied. | D．Doubted. |
【推荐2】Julian Beever is a well-known British artist. His drawings have appeared on the streets of London, Pairs, Tokyo, New York and many other cities around the world. Beever creates what looks like a three-dimensional design (三维设计). From animals to heroes, to buildings, the paintings are a wonder for our eyes to see.
In his book Pavement Chalk Artist, Beever shares some of his most attractive and humorous pieces. Here are the examples you will find in the book.
Philadelphia Eagle, created in the USA, is a huge drawing with an eagle (鹰) landing on an American national flag. Meeting Mr. Frog was created in Spain and is about a realistic-looking (样子逼真的) frog sitting on a Lily pad (睡莲叶子). Swimming pool in the High Street is about a woman relaxing in a swimming pool sunk into the middle of the street.
Along with an introduction about his background, Beever shares information about his time at home in the UK and abroad. With a funny story coming after each piece of art, this 112-page book is really worth another look.
1. What do people think of Beever’s drawings?| A．Terrible. | B．Ugly. | C．Wonderful. | D．Boring. |
| A．Philadelphia Eagle | B．Meeting Mr. Frog |
| C．Swimming pool in the High Street | D．Sharing information |
| A．a three-dimensional design | B．Julian Beever and his book |
| C．an attractive drawing | D．famous artists in Spain |
【推荐3】Hannah Huxford met the fry-stealing gull (海鸥) in Bridlington, a coastal town on the Yorkshire coast. Huxford took the well-timed photo on her iPhone in 2012 and it went viral soon after. A decade later, the fry-stealing gull is appearing on billboards, as part of an advertising campaign for Google.
Researchers recently discovered that food may actually become more attractive to gulls when the birds watch humans handling it first, according to a 2020 study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
Because the birds seem to be attracted to food that they’ve watched humans touch, another of the study’s authors, says that it’s even more important to properly throw food waste and snack wrappers (包装纸) in the trash. “Gulls are more likely to approach food that they have seen people drop or put down, so they may associate (联想)areas where people are eating with an easy meal,” Dr. Laura Kelley said.
The scientists approached 74 gulls in coastal towns in Cornwall, tempting(诱惑) them with bags of fried potatoes. Only 19 gulls were curious or hungry enough to linger (逗留), allowing the scientists to place the bag on the ground and go back a short distance away, waiting to see if a gull would approach.
Their experiments showed that gulls were more cautious about approaching a tempting treat if there was a person nearby who was watching them closely. However, the scientists also found that far fewer of the birds than expected showed interest in investigating the food at all when being stared at.
In fact, people may be able to protect their lunches from gulls by avoiding areas where the birds tend to gather and keeping a closer eye on their meals, she added. “Gulls have a bad reputation but, like all animals, they are just trying to survive,” Goumas said. “We can try to ease the conflict we have with them by making changes in our own behavior.”
1. What did gulls prefer according to the study?| A．Photos taken by people. |
| B．Areas full of food waste. |
| C．Snack wrappers in the trash. |
| D．Food that visitors are eating. |
| A．They don’t like the food left over by humans. |
| B．They approach the treat when they are hungry. |
| C．They are interested in eating food with humans. |
| D．They probably won’t eat the treat when being watched. |
| A．Critical. | B．Sympathetic. | C．Skeptical. | D．Indifferent. |
